About 6km east of Bandarawela on the road to Badulla, the charming Dowa Temple is pleasantly situated close to a stream on the south side of the road. A beautiful 4m-high standing Buddha is cut into the rock face below the road. The walls of the adjacent cave shrine, cut from solid rock, are covered with excellent Sri Lankan–style Buddhist murals. The temple is like a smaller version of Dambulla, and, like the Royal Rock Temple at Dambulla, King Valagamba (Vattajamini Ahhya) also took refuge here in the 1st century BC during his 14-year exile from Anuradhapura. The temple is easy to miss if you’re coming by bus, so ask the bus conductor to tell you when to alight. A three-wheeler or taxi from Bandarawela should cost Rs 600 to 700 return, including waiting time. A donation is expected at the temple.